Sexuality and the Jesus Tradition
Sexuality and the Jesus Tradition

Author: William Loader

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Published: 2005-02-03

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13: 9780802828620

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Discourse related to sex excites passion and debate, partly because sexuality is a central aspect of what it means to be human. Following up on his recent book on sexuality in the Septuagint, William Loader here explores what the Christian Gospels and related writings have to say about sexuality, how they reflect the faith and social values of their day, and what impact they've had on our own. Sexuality and the Jesus Tradition is thorough in its investigation and compelling in its analyses. Loader examines all of the passages that convey views about sexuality in the Gospels and other first-century literature, including the Gospel of Thomas, and the influence in Paul of the Jesus tradition. Among the interesting topics covered are attitudes concerning lust, perspectives on marriage and divorce, and views about celibacy. Loader shows how, despite the passing of two thousand years and massive social change, these ancient texts contain common issues that we still grapple with today.

The Sexuality of Jesus
The Sexuality of Jesus

Author: William E. Phipps

Publisher: Resource Publications (OR)

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 250

ISBN-13: 9781608995806

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In 1970 William Phipps rocked Christianity with his controversial Was Jesus Married? The Distortion of Sexuality in the Christian Tradition, ushering in a generation of critical study of this sacrosanct subject. The Sexuality of Jesus is the harvest of his research. Carefully analyzing such subjects as celibacy, sexuality, and gender in first-century Palestine, Phipps suggests how Jesus's life and teaching undermined traditional attitudes toward women and the human body-and how the Jesus of the Gospels can inform discussions of gender and sexuality today. How does the Christian tradition of sexual renunciation reflect-or distort-biblical and Christian understandings of the body? Does Jesus represent the full flowering of sexuality, or its rejection? How did women, particularly Mary Magdalene, view Jesus? Addressing these and other questions, Phipps seeks to release the pivotal personality of Jesus from the dehumanizing treatments found in much of the Christian tradition. Unabashedly dealing with the most contentious of topics, The Sexuality of Jesus is a fresh and provocative analysis of sexuality and religious faith. Book jacket.

Sexuality in the New Testament
Sexuality in the New Testament

Author: William Loader

Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press

Published: 2010-08-16

Total Pages: 178

ISBN-13: 1611640822

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Loader looks at hotly contested New Testament passages on sexuality and offers a fair and balanced treatment of what scholars say about them. He also offers an analysis of why interpreters say what they say, and demonstrates how texts may be interpreted specifically to support a preformed opinion. Written in straightforward, non-technical language, this classroom text is also ideal for Bible study groups.

Sexuality and the Christian Body
Sexuality and the Christian Body

Author: Eugene F. Rogers, Jr.

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Published: 1999-08-25

Total Pages: 316

ISBN-13: 9780631210702

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God and the Body addresses the challenges to traditional Christianity by gay and lesbian Christians and their critics within the church. This controversial book will be welcomed for the radical new insights it provides into Christian arguments about the body.

The Sacred Embrace of Jesus and Mary
The Sacred Embrace of Jesus and Mary

Author: Jean-Yves Leloup

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2006-02-24

Total Pages: 147

ISBN-13: 1594776296

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An examination of how the teachings of Jesus reveal the essential role of sexuality in spiritual growth and transformation • Shows that Jesus did not come to redeem humanity from the life of the flesh, but to honor it as a spiritual path • Uses Hebrew, gnostic, and early Christian source texts to reveal the true context of the words attributed to Jesus • Explores the spiritual and physical relationship shared by Jesus and Mary Magdalene Of all the major religions, Christianity is the only one that has utterly rejected sexuality as one of the many paths that can lead to enlightenment and salvation. But if Jesus was indeed “the Word made flesh” and serious consideration is given to the mystery of his Incarnation, is it reasonable that physical love would have been prohibited to him? Drawing from the canonical and apocryphal gospels, the Hebrew esoteric tradition, and gnosticism, Jean-Yves Leloup shows that Jesus did not come to save humanity from the life of the flesh but to save the life of the flesh so that it would truly transfigure all people. Leloup explains that when Saint Paul said it was good to be without women, he did not cite any words of Jesus in support of this contention. In fact, Paul’s statement utterly contradicts the words of God in Genesis: “It is not good that man should be alone.” Leloup argues that the elimination of the divine feminine and sacred sexuality set in motion by Paul’s words does not reflect the true teachings of Christ, and that the transformation of Jesus into a celibate is the true heresy. His research restores Christ’s true human sexuality and shows it to be a vital part of humanity’s spirituality. Leloup contends that by understanding the sacred nature of the embrace shared by man and woman as a true reflection of humanity made in God’s image, Christianity can again become the powerful path of transfiguration Christ intended.

Good Christian Sex
Good Christian Sex

Author: Bromleigh McCleneghan

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 2016-07-05

Total Pages: 151

ISBN-13: 0062428608

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Moving beyond the deep-seated cultural feelings of shame that have long fueled the conflict between Christianity and sex—and the belief that there is only one right and valid way to practice one’s sexuality—this renowned University of Chicago pastor uses enlightening personal stories and examples from theology to show how sex is powerful and holy. For years, Christians have been told to adhere to one singular path when it comes to sex: abstinence and purity. Yet this limited focus ignores the reality that people’s sexual and romantic lives differ widely, even among those who consider themselves devout believers. Church leaders have often refused to address the topic—or have preached in ways that are harmful to the emotional and spiritual growth of the faithful in the pews. Pastor McCleneghan is determined to reshape the issue—and fundamentally transcend this disconnect between sexuality and spirituality that has left many Christians feeling guilty and sinful. Written in her measured, non-judgmental voice, Good Christian Sex combines humorous personal anecdotes with theological research to transform how Christians think and talk about this basic human need, offering a new understanding that reconciles human love and religious faith. Breaking with outdated conventions, McCleneghan explains how the Bible and Christian tradition inform our beliefs about desire, pleasure, nudity, fidelity, premarital sex, and the variety of sexual practices, and encourages Christians to talk about their bodies, their sensuality, and their longings in a frank, positive, and realistic way. Warm, insightful, and honest, Good Christian Sex is a message of hope, that at last lifts the veil of shame felt by many religious people.

The New Testament on Sexuality
The New Testament on Sexuality

Author: William Loader

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Published: 2012-09-13

Total Pages: 576

ISBN-13: 0802867243

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This is the fifth and final installment of William Loader's authoritative, acclaimed series on attitudes toward sexuality in the ancient world. Sexual themes are never far beneath the surface where there are human beings. This was certainly the case for Christians in the first-century world. Some began in a strongly Jewish context and worked out their faith in dialogue with their scriptural heritage. Others had to work out their sexual ethics in a world strongly influenced by Greco-Roman ideals and practices. In The New Testament on Sexuality William Loader explores the relevant cultural contexts and looks at New Testament texts related to sexuality, highlighting both the warnings about sexual wrongdoing and the affirmations of sexual union. He deals with specific themes such as divorce, same-sex relations, women and men in leadership, and celibacy; individual behavior, gender roles and rules, preferences, and hopes also fall under the scope of his investigation. Broad-ranging and thorough, this book engages both the biblical texts and the diverse ways in which they have been interpreted.

Same-Sex Attraction and the Church
Same-Sex Attraction and the Church

Author: Ed Shaw

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2015-11-09

Total Pages: 177

ISBN-13: 0830899790

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When Christians have same-sex attraction, how should the church respond? Pastor Ed Shaw experiences same-sex attraction, and yet he is committed to Scripture and the church's traditional position on sexuality. In this honest book, he shares his own experiences and shows us that obedience to Jesus is ultimately the only way to experience life to the full.